It is typically envisioned that the passenger compartment of full AD vehicles will utilize both front and rear-facing passenger seats, such that vehicle occupancy and passenger comfort can be maximized. For example, one such cab-forward passenger compartment utilizes a front row consisting of three equal-size, rear-facing passenger seats and a back row consisting of three equal-size, front-facing passenger seats, such that six passengers can be accommodated comfortably. Such a cab-forward passenger compartment may utilize large sliding main doors and, optionally, conventional front doors. As this is a full AD vehicle, no driver seat and steering wheel or other steering control are made available for one of the passengers to operate the vehicle.
It is anticipated, however, that legal and practical requirements will mandate and dictate that some sort of driver station, including a driver seat and steering wheel or other steering control, will have to be made available for one of the passengers, emergency personnel, and/or a service person to move the vehicle in an emergency situation, during service, etc. It is also anticipated that this steering wheel or other steering control and the associated acceleration and braking controls will have to, in whole or in part, utilize conventional physical links, as opposed to being drive-by-wire controls alone executed from a mobile application or the like.
Thus, the challenge is to provide a driver station, including a driver seat and steering wheel or other steering control, that is functional when needed, but that does not otherwise unnecessarily intrude into the passenger compartment during normal AD passenger operation. Further, such a driver station should comply with current safety standards in terms of structural integrity, passive and active restraints, air bags, etc.
Several attempts have been made, unsuccessfully, to solve this problem using a specialized swiveling or rotating driver seat that is front-facing when the vehicle is being driven in a conventional manner and rear-facing when the vehicle is being operated in an AD mode. Such convertible seats, however, are bulky, complex, and cost significant passenger space in the passenger compartment. Further, they typically do not address the steering wheel in any manner, opting to use a conventional steering wheel protruding from the instrument panel (IP). A better solution is thus needed.